Election parody song linking Kerala CPM with Sabarimala gold heist goes viral

Even as the song's lyricist studied only up to third standard, Chalappuram wrote around 600 songs, including many for election campaigns.

Thiruvananthapuram: A Malayalam parody song written by a lower primary school drop out in Kerala has gone viral during the local body election campaign.

The song that links the CPM with the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple gold heist played a key role in the Congress-led United Democratic Front's election campaign in Kerala. With the UDF winning the polls, the song is receiving more attention. UDF MPs from Kerala even sang the song in front of the Parliament on Monday.

The song 'Pottiye kettiye, Swarnam chembayi mattiye' was written by G P Kunhabdulla Chalappuram, a native of Nadapuram in Kozhikode, who has been in Doha over the last 46 years.

Even as he studied only up to third standard, Chalappuram wrote around 600 songs, including many for election campaigns.

"My reading habit helped me develop my language. During most elections as well as other important events I used to write songs. Since it was election time and the Sabarimala gold heist issue has hurt many, I thought of writing a song for this election based on that. Apart from the gold heist issue, other relevant issues like the ASHA workers stir are also included in the lyrics. Since it was tuned based on the popular Sabarimala devotional song it received much attention. Even some Sabarimala pilgrims were heard singing this song," Chalappuram told DH over phone from Doha.

Many Congress leaders had personally appreciated him for the song as it could effectively raise the Sabarimala gold heist issue during the election. A video of Congress MLA P C Vishnunath singing the song had also gone viral. Chalappuram, who is now into hotel and grocery business in Doha, is also a hardcore Congress loyalist.

The song was brought out by producers Subair Pandalloor and Haneefa Mudikkode and sung by Danish as part of the election promotion works.

Petition against song

While a forum associated with Sabarimala pilgrims filed a police complaint alleging that the parody song based on the popular devotional song was hurting religious sentiments, CPM Pathanamthitta district secretary Raju Abraham also came out against the parody song.

The Thiruvabharana Patha Samarakshana Samathi officer bearers said that they gave a police petition seeking action against those who brought out the song as it was defaming the Ayyappa temple and hurting religious sentiments. They also demanded that the song should be withdrawn from social media.

CPM district secretary Raju Abraham said that parody songs based on devotional songs of any religion were unacceptable as those would hurt religious sentiments.